Please Say You Love Me
by anek
Summary: Kaoru once followed Kenshin all the way to Kyoto with one wish to see him again. Now, fate has once again taken away the man she loves. This time, will she follow him halfway around the world? K/K everyone!


Hi! I'm starting another fic again . I have so many fics to finish, but hopefully, I'll finish this one. Anyway, this is K/K romance (of course!). Just another story about my beloved Kenshin. Anyway, I think it's gonna have major romance, drama, angst, and some humor too, but I'm really kinda lame in the latter, so don't count on it. Anyway, I'll try my best! Hope you read!  
  
Disclaimer: Kenshin is not mine! Waaaaaahhh! I want Kenshin! I love Kenshin! I'm obsessed with Kenshin! KENSHIN!!! Wait a sec, this was supposed to be a disclaimer, ne? Oh well, sori, I got carried away.  
  
  
  
:::::Please Say You Love Me:::::  
  
  
"The rumors are true then," Kenshin concluded, not bothering to look up from his daily load of laundry.  
  
Yahiko bounced on the wooden floor with excitement.  
"Yeah! They say you'll never see anything more beautiful Kenshin!"  
  
"I sure wanna see that..." Sano breathed, the rooster-head looking like he was off to la-la land.  
  
Kenshin continued concentrating on his laundry, occasionally smiling at Ayame and Suzume who were, as usual, making foamy bunny ears on his head.  
  
"I suppose I should go and take a look too, that I should."  
  
Yahiko jumped and grabbed Kenshin by the hair.  
  
"Oro?!" was the only thing the handsome rurouni could say.  
  
"Really Kenshin? When? When? When?" Yahiko demanded excitedly.  
  
"After I finish the laundry, that is. I have to go buy some tofu too,anyway." Kenshin explained, sighing in relief when Yahiko let go of his hair.  
  
"Then prepare to be blown away, Kenshin. I'm telling you, she's so beautiful you'll forget to breath," Sano said dreamily.  
  
Kenshin frowned slightly, thinking about Sano's overly passionate words… but then again, even a simple train ride and a camera could impress Sanosuke TOO much, right?  
  
"What was the name again?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"The Countess of Sherrington!" Sano and Yahiko chorused excitedly.  
  
Kenshin shook his head lightly. Perhaps it was natural for Sano to be easily awed for such western wonders, but Yahiko was usually not as easy to impress.  
  
"Well then, I suppose I will go and see if I can catch a glimpse of her today, that I--"  
  
A wooden bucket flew across the yard, straight into an unsuspecting red head.  
  
One swirly-eyed rurouni with a rather large bump on the head could only say "Orooo…"  
  
"Hmph! Jerk!" Kaoru screeched, breathing heavily in anger after hauling the wooden bucket to the Battousai-turned-rurouni.  
  
"Go see as many Countesses as you like! See if I care!" Kaoru yelled before stomping back to the dojo.  
  
"Oro?" Kenshin wondered, gently rubbing the bump on his head.  
  
"Looks like the little missy is acting jealous again," Sano observed.  
  
"Jealous?!" Kenshin asked, confused.  
Yahiko cupped his hands over his mouth and turned to the direction where Kaoru had stomped off. Raising his voice so that his adjutant master wouldn't miss what he was going to say.  
  
"Well, you can't blame her! The Countess really is a beautiful woman! Not like some ugly raccoon girl! Hahahah!"  
This time, a flying wooden slipper went straight to the former pick-pocket's forehead.  
Kenshin face-faulted.  
  
"Oro! Woman? I thought we were talking about a ship!"  
  
"Of course we were talking about a woman! Didn't you hear anything about the English Miss everybody's been talking about?" Sano said crossly.  
  
Kenshin sighed. "I suppose I did hear some talk about a lady with close ties to the English royalty visiting Japan, but I thought we were talking about the English ship which docked on the shores of Tokyo a few days ago."  
  
"That's the ship the Countess boarded!" Yahiko explained.  
  
"I heard it's her personal ship, and it was even named after her," Sano provided.  
  
"I see," Kenshin nodded, only to go "Oro" again when Yahiko jumped and grabbed him by the hair again.  
  
"So? Are we gonna go see her now, Kenshin? Huh? Huh?" the young boy asked excitedly.  
  
Kenshin dared to take one look at the dojo and flinched when he saw Kaoru's head bob out of the door with a rather ominous expression.   
  
"Er… I think I'd rather see the ship, that I will," Kenshin wisely decided, letting out a relieved sigh when the dojo door slid close.  
  
::::::  
  
Kaoru sagged against the door. She had done it again. It's not like she had the right to get jealous or anything, but still, she couldn't help it. Besides, Kenshin said he thought Sano and Yahiko were talking about a ship, so she didn't have a reason to get jealous either, and she didn't have the right to get jealous in the first place.  
She sighed longingly and slid the shoji with a little crack, just enough so she could get an unobstructed view of Kenshin doing laundry. He probably knew that she always watched him, but he never said something about it. Afterall, Kenshin would never do something that would embarrass her, or anyone for that matter. Kaoru knew Kenshin had was aware of her feelings for him, after all, she hadn't been the most discrete about it. But still, she still couldn't bring herself to admit her feelings to him in her own words. It wasn't because she didn't want him to know, God knows she wanted to tell him so badly. It was only because she didn't want him to feel pressured. Kaoru knew Kenshin still harbored feelings for Tomoe-san somewhere deep in his heart. She would wait till he was ready to love again... but what if that day never comes? She sighed again. Kami... onegai.  
  
::::::  
  
"Darn it! I was sure we'd see the Countess! They said she was gonna visit the city today!" Yahiko grumbled.  
  
"Moron!" Sano snorted, giving Yahiko a bonk in the head.   
  
"Even if she does visit the city today, she's not just gonna walk around and say 'Hi' to you, you know. Bah, kids like you really don't know anything."  
  
As usual, the 'kid' thing didn't settle well on Yahiko.  
  
"Who you calling a kid?! Besides, if you're so smart, then why don't you lead us to where she is?" Yahiko shot back.  
  
"Bah, maybe it's because I don't know where she is, stupid."  
  
"You're the stupid one, rooster-head!"  
  
Kenshin turned around to face his bickering friends. "Now, now, you two should calm down. If the Countess were to visit the city today, her party should probably be in two or more carriages with more than a dozen guards. That would surely cause a lot of talk and commotion. Since we haven't heard of anything like that yet, then it's safe to assume that she isn't in the city, or at least not yet."  
  
Sano nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's what I was trying to tell Yahiko here."  
  
Yahiko visibly simmered. "What are you talking about, Sano? You said you don't know where she is, remember? You're just trying to get smart, aren't you?"  
  
"Hey, watch your mouth, kid."  
  
"I said don't call me a kid!"  
  
After sweatdropping a little, Kenshin turned back and continued walking.  
  
"Alright then, you two can stay here if you want to wait and see if the Countess does come around and visit the city. I'll be going back to the dojo now and prepare some dinner, that I will."  
  
Sano and Yahiko stopped pulling each others faces for a while.  
  
"But Kenshin, don't you wanna see the Countess too? I heard she's a goddess to boot, you know," Yahiko asked.  
  
"No, Yahiko. I'll go back to the dojo now and prepare dinner before Kaoru-dono comes back from giving lessons outside the dojo."  
  
Sano shrugged. "Alright then Kenshin, but you don't know what you'll be missing."  
  
Kenshin nodded. He really didn't need to see this Countess from the west. Besides... if Kaoru-dono finds out, he might be having shinai for dinner along with with a few bumps on the head.   
  
Kenshin smiled, remembering how Kaoru-dono had been so angry in the morning. Although memories of Kaoru getting jealous usually comes with other memories of many bumps and bruises, they never failed to amuse him... and frighten him. He knew he cared about Kaoru, more than anyone else, even more than his own life. Yet, there is one thing that Hitokiri Battousai is scared of that nobody knew about -- he is scared to love again.  
  
It isn't because he was scared of being hurt again, for Kami knows being hurt is something that had become as common to him as breathing. But he's a man with a dark past that can never be erased. True, Kaoru had told him back when they first met, that she didn't care at all about his past, but in his heart, Battousai will forever be part of his true self. He will forever be eaten by painful memories, and if he let himself to love again, he will only drag that person to his own world of darkness. No, he could never do that to Kaoru-dono, not when her laughter held such joy and innocence. He would only take that laughter away.  
  
Kenshin sighed.  
  
Yes, things are better as they are now, that they are.  
Kenshin continued walking silently in the dusk. Then suddenly, not too far away, a shrill scream was heard. In an instant, Kenshin dashed ahead with his god-like speed.   
  
Kenshin Himura might be unwilling to love again, but destiny has just opened a the path for him, and whether he likes it or not, it's the only path that he can take.  
  
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
A/N: Please review! Reviews really keep me going. I don't know if you liked this first chapter or not, but heck, please let me know either way. 


End file.
